China, imperial: 8. Qing or Manchu dynasty period, 1636–1911

Abstract

The Qing or Manchu dynasty was founded in 1636 by the Manchus, who were originally named the Jurchens, and the founders of the Jin dynasty. The rise of the Qing Empire started with a military conquest of China proper which eventually expanded into Inner Asia by relying on Han-Chinese armies. As a result China, especially during Qianlong's long reign, reached the peak of Sino-centrism that was based on the tributary system. This Sino-centric worldview was challenged by the Western imperialist invasion beginning in the 1840s. The treaty-port system became the new norm in the late Qing period and Qing Empire was eventually overthrown by Han-Chinese revolutionaries in 1911.